Material diffusing apparatus for aircraft



Oct. 1 1, 1966 R, D, woLcoT-r 3,278,141

MATERIAL DIFFUSING vAPPARATUS FOR AIRCRAFT Filed June 5, 1964 United States Patent O "lee 3,278,141 MATERIAL DIFFUSING APIARA'IUS FR AIRCRAFT Robert D. Wolcott, Juneau, Alaska, assigner to the United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army Filed .lune 3, 1964, Ser. No. 372,428 2 Claims. (Cl. 244-136) The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government for governmental purposes, without the payment to me of any royalty thereon.

Simple, lightweight, low-cost apparatus is important in spraying or diffusing uid materials into the air from airplanes. Crop dusting, spraying of insecticides, dispersing tire-lighting and other chemicals or iluids are examples of operations where apparatus is needed with characteristics as set forth above. The present apparatus is an improvement over previous apparatus for these purposes.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an airplane embodying the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a section along line 2-2 through a wing ta-nk of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of a modification; and

FIG. 4 is a front elevational view of the modification of FIG. 3.

In FIG. 1 an airplane has Wing-tip plates 10 attached to wings 12 and wing-tip tank containers 14.

In FIG. 2 a cross section through tank container 14 shows a slotted leading edge 16. Air is channeled through passage 18 between the inner wall of container 14 and the outer wall of a ta-nk 22 and out at 20 as indicated by the arrows. The tank 22 is collapsible and is sealingly connected to tank container 14 at 24, 26 resulting in a sealed compartment 28 between tank 22 and tank container 14. A pressurized container 30 has a valved outlet 32. Material in container 30 may be expelled through 32 to expand into compartment 28. This places pressure on the exterior of collapsible tank 22 to eject the fluid therefrom through outlets 34 through the Walls of tank 22 and into the airstream flowing through passage 18. The fluid is thoroughly mixed and churned by the air as it passes out through 20. Valve 32 may be opened and closed at will by the pilot by conventional apparatus.

FIGS. 3 and 4 illustrate a modification of the invention. Similar parts are designated by like reference numerals with the addition of primes. However, tank 22 need not be collapsible because the high velocity of air flow through throat 17 of the venturi-shaped passageway will create a vacuum sufiicient to draw the fluid material from tank 22 through nozzle 34. Passage of fluid through nozzle 34' may be controlled by a valve i-n a way known to those skilled in the art.

Tank 22 is attachedto wing 12 by one or more springs 36. Springs 36 are attached to wing 12 and to tank 22 thereby forming resilient attaching means which permit the tank to oscillate. Thus, the tank itself becomes substantially a free-flying tank and substantially supports its own weight when ilying speed is attained. Stresses and strains which would normally tend to tear the tank from the wing are thereby minimized.

Certain types of launching may require the tank 22 to be locked in level ilight attitude until airborne. Such 3,278,141 Patented @et lll, 1966 locking may be accomplished by solenoid actuated pins or similar apparatus 38. Prior to takeoff the wing tank 22 which usually is filled, may be securely locked to the wing in a level position, such as the position illustrated in FIG. l, by locking apparatus 38. When the plane is airborne the locking apparatus 38 may be released and the tank will fly along with the plane. Springs 36 prevent separation of the tank from the wing. Prior to landing, the material in tank 22 will have been discharged, as a general rule. Therefore, the tank will not be as heavy and springs 36 may be sufficient to sustain the empty tank in level position. However, if the tank has not been emptied, or it the springs are not adequate to support the tank in level position as the plane slows to a stop, then locking apparatus 38 may be utilized to secure tank 22 rigidly to wing 12.

I claim:

1. Material diffusing apparatus for aircraft comprising: a substantially rigid tank, a collapsible iluid tank in said rigid tank, a pressurized container inside of said rigid tank and exteriorly of said collapsible tank, valve means to release pressure from said pressurized container to the space between the interior of said rigid tank and the exterior of said collapsible tank to thereby pressurize such space and the collapsible tank, air passage means leading from an inlet adjacent to a leading edge of said rigid tank to an outlet adjacent to a trailing edge, and liquid passage means leading from said collapsible tank to said air passage means whereby, when said valve means is actuaed, pressure from said pressurized container will pressurize said collapsible tank and eject liquid therefrom into said air passage means to be diffused through the outlet of said air passage.

2. Material diffusing apparatus for an aircraft having a wing comprising.: walls dening a passage leading from an opening substantially to the rear trailing edge of the apparatus for passage of air therethrough, a restricted area in said passage, a nozzle in said restricted area through which uid may pass into the air flowing through said passage and restricted area, means resiliently securing said material diffusing apparatus to an aircraft wing, and means to secure said apparatus to the wing rigidly at times, such as at take olf, said last-mentioned means being releasable so that the apparatus may ily with the wing as resiliently restrained by said resilient securing means.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,580,301 4/1926 Johnson 244-136 1,619,183 3/1927 Bradner et al 244-136 1,957,075 5/ 1934 Morgensen 244-136 2,836,463 5/1958 Wilson 244-136 2,844,938 7/ 1958 Longwell 60-35.6 2,899,898 8/1959 Goss 60-35.6 3,168,270 2/ 1965 Bligard et al 244--54 X FOREIGN PATENTS 54,300 2/ 1938 Denmark.

MILTON BUCHLER, Primary Examiner.

BENJAMIN A. BORCHELT, Examiner.

R. F. STAHL, B. BELKIN, Assistant Examiners. 

1. MATERIAL DIFFUSING APPARATUS FOR AIRCRAFT COMPRISING: A SUBSTANTIALLY RIGID TANK, A COLLAPSIBLE FLUID TANK IN SAID RIGID TANK, A PRESSUREIZED CONTAINER INSIDE OF SAID RIGID TANK AND EXTERIORLY OF SAID COLLAPSIBLE TANK, VALVE MEANS TO RELEASE PRESSURE FROM SAID PRESSURIZED CONTAINER TO THE SPACE BETWEEN THE INTERIOR OF SAID RIGID TANK AND THE EXTERIOR OF SAID COLLAPSIBLE TANK TO THEREBY PRESSURIZE SUCH SPACE AND THE COLLAPSIBLE TANK, AIR PASSAGE MEANS LEADING FROM AN INLET ADJACENT TO A LEADING EDGE OF SAID RIGID TANK TO AN OUTLET ADJACENT TO A TRAILING EDGE, AND LIQUID PASSAGE MEANS LEADING FROM SAID COLLAPSIBLE TANK TO SAID AIR PASSAGE MEANS WHEREBY, WHEN SAID VALVE MEANS IS ACTUAED, PRESSURE FROM SAID PRESSURIZED CONTAINER WILL PRESSURIZE SAID COLLAPSIBLE TANK AND EJECT LIQUID THEREFROM INTO SAID AIR PASSAGE MEANS TO BE DIFFUSED THROUGH THE OUTLET OF SAID AIR PASSAGE. 